Radio contact was lost with one of the two AT-802 firefighting aircraft belonging to the General Directorate of Forestry, which had flown from Çanakkale to Croatia for maintenance activities. The aircraft, which took off from Rijeka Airport en route to Zagreb, was reported to have crashed while attempting to return due to adverse weather conditions.
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced that the wreckage of the aircraft had been located following search and rescue operations, and that pilot Hasan Bahar was martyred.
Minister Yumaklı: “May Our Nation’s Condolences Be Accepted”
In his statement, Minister Yumaklı said:
“The wreckage of our firefighting aircraft belonging to the General Directorate of Forestry, which lost radio contact in Croatia, was found near Senj. I wish Allah’s mercy upon our pilot who was martyred in this tragic accident, and extend my condolences to his family and loved ones. I wish patience to our forestry organisation and our noble nation.”
Martyred Pilot Hasan Bahar Had Survived an Accident in Muğla in August
It was learned that the martyred pilot was Hasan Bahar. It was revealed that Bahar had survived with injuries when a firefighting aircraft responding to a forest fire in the Yatağan district of Muğla crashed on 29 August. Bahar had returned to duty after receiving treatment.
The Crash Occurred During Return Due to Meteorological Conditions
Sources from the Ministry stated that the two AT-802 aircraft took off from Çanakkale on Wednesday to fly to Zagreb for scheduled maintenance, and spent the night at Rijeka Airport due to weather conditions. The next day, after taking off again, radio contact was lost with the second aircraft while on the return route.
Shortly afterwards, it was determined that the aircraft had disappeared during descent on the Rijeka–Senj route due to high cloud density.
Technical Specifications of the AT-802 Firefighting Aircraft
Although the AT-802 was originally produced for agricultural applications, it is now among the most preferred light-class firefighting aircraft used in forest fire response in many countries around the world.
Key technical features of the aircraft:
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A series turboprop engine (1,350–1,600 horsepower)
- Approximately 3,100-litre water or fire retardant carrying capacity
- Amphibious capability in the Fire Boss version
- Ability to rapidly scoop water from surfaces in 20–30 seconds
- Manoeuvrability in narrow valleys and precise low-altitude operation capability
These features make the AT-802 a critical asset, especially in fires requiring rapid initial response.
